Q: Canon has an active and diverse product portfolio that ranges from digital imaging to personal and office printers, copiers, controllers and fax machines. How is the company able to drive and sustain this high level of innovation to keep coming up with new products? A: Innovation has been a key ingredient in Canon’s success throughout our history. Natural resources are not in abundance in Japan and we have had to rely on innovation to get ahead. This is never more true than in Canon. We have applied our innovative skills in environmental technology as well as medical, semiconductor and broadcasting equipment. We will continue to develop innovative technology as a means of bettering the world we live in, redefining the workplace and enhancing lifestyles.
As a company, Canon has consistently devoted approximately 10 per cent of our net sales to research and development (R&D)investment each year. Our R&D divisions in Japan and nine R&D facilities throughout the world are dedicated to developing custom products and solutions for customers worldwide.
Some products developed from Canon R&D and patented technology include the laser beam print engine, Bubblejet printing systems, plain-paper copying devices, eye-control focus systems for cameras and camcorders, and optical image stabilisation for video cameras, broadcast lenses and binoculars. Whatever the product, our emphasis on quality as well as original technology have earned us the trust of customers around the world. Q: Talent is obviously crucial to drive innovation. How does Canon find the right talent to fit into the company’s vision and direction? A: Education is key. Parents in Japan, for example, understand the importance of education and each family tries to provide the best education possible for their children to excel in life. And this is the culture from which the talents in our company stem from. Canon is also actively involved in expanding research capabilities to explore new technology and in promoting joint research with universities, university-affiliated research organisations and other entities. These research activities are not carried out only in Japan. R&D efforts are also conducted in various forms overseas. Such diverse global activities provide Canon with the confidence to create innovative technology for the next generation. At Canon, the pursuit of new next-generation technology is a never-ending endeavour.
Q: What has kept Canon going despite the various challenges? A: As a company, we do not subscribe to any specific business style such as the Harvard Business School. But what we do is take the best practices and map them against our culture, our way of doing things. This, we find, is what works best for us.